The Other Side of Doubt - POEM of the WEEK!

A selection from my book
"Retro," which uses a
cinquain - a 5-line poem.



The Other Side Of Doubt


I slept on the other side of doubt
Last night and the night before;
Oh, how I relish a sleep devout,
Discovering what dreams turn out –
From surreal paintings to heroic lore.

But not all nights are such an oasis –
Cajoling scoundrels of the day,
Anxiety monsters invading my palace,
And razor tongues haunt me sleepless
As childhood stomping grounds disobey.

The clock ticks by in counter rhythm
And echoes against the window
With pervasive thoughts so phantom;
I struggle to discover the right serum
As this battle rages on my pillow.

Yet, I will not be deprived tonight –
I locate green pastures throughout,
Ask for calming waters of respite,
Filling my soul even into daylight
To sleep on the other side of doubt.


Psalm 23: 1-3;
Philippians 4: 6


Artist: Dave Douglas

Imaginarium - POEM of the WEEK! 05/28

Imaginarium


My school had a lengthy class
But they were all as such.
One teacher took us places;
She did not need to say much.
Along the white line to nowhere
I stood quietly as was trained,
But black ink shot out of my pen
And my classmates complained.

In the quiet of my bedroom
I covered pages with imagination
Until I was warm with thoughts
And traveled every nation –

To mountains new to my eyes,
To ocean depths I had never been,
To temples and public houses
And faces I had never seen.

“I felt the senseless rage drain
From every pour in my body
Until the plunder of my soul
Could no longer rescue me!” …

My adrenaline soared off a cliff,
I murdered for a woman’s hand,
My ears rang from the applause,
And none of it actually happened.

“The thoughts of rest slowed,
Slowed long enough for the wind
To move from the golden hills
Until the walls of my heart thinned.” …

And, I had boxes and boxes of stories
Stacked for any willing editor.
But the flow of the process stopped,
Like a dam destroying a river.

Springs and summers passed,
Until every season felt like winter.
While I had balanced out each day,
The library was my single adventure.
Until one day, a sunrise surprised me!
I peeked over the mailbox with delight,
An acceptance shined on a story of old –
Imaginarium! And, I continue to write.


“According to [Jack] London’s biographer Alex Kershaw,
the library was the boy’s ‘preferred classroom,’…” – Aleta George

[Also publish in Synchronized Chaos
Magazine, September, 2015.]

(If using a phone to read this poem, turn your phone sideways for the best view of this post.)

The Climb - POEM of the WEEK! 03/14

The Climb


The climb, with its many bends and rises,
bends and rises once more – past the cattle guard,
there is always more.

To say “almost there”,
then see another bend and rise
sends a switchback of betraying thoughts –
turn around and go back, never!

But, the climb bends
and rises once more –
there is always more.

More pain, more sweat, more love
for this climb overlooking the eagle perched
atop a tree examining the green grass and rock
and life scurrying and hiding under the rock, in the tree.

And, the climb bends and rises,
rises my heart beyond a rate
the beauty this road
will take me when I reach the top.
Until then, I will say there is always more.

~

“I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which
God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 3:14

The Road Map - POEM of the WEEK!

The Road Map
(a pantoum)


If the road map is in the car
Why are we so off course?
Most have differing views of where we are,
Others may say, “consider the source.”

Why are we so off course?
Some lay blame to those in the backseat,
Others may say, “consider the source.”
While others ignore the signs on the street.

Some lay blame to those in the backseat;
The new technology shuts off our mind
While others ignore the signs on the street,
So much riding with the blind.

The new technology shuts off our mind;
Some of us choose to turn around,
So much riding with the blind,
It’s about time the lost are found.

Some of us choose to turn around;
Most have differing views of where we are,
It’s about time the lost are found
If, the road map is in the car.

~

Similar in theme to Drawn.

Also published, in slightly different form, in the 2009 Ina Coolbrith Circle Anthology.


[Artist: David A. Douglas. Taken on a road trip
through central Nevada with my brother Paul.]

(If using a phone to read this poem, turn your phone sideways for the best view of this post.)

Shackled to Veins - POEM of the WEEK! 12/27

Shackled to Veins

I am bound to the gravity
Of each situation I pass
From the fall of an hourglass
Met in restrained antiquity
Which limits creativity
By the links in my chains
As I am shackled to veins.

Also published (in moderately different form),
in the 2007 Ina Coolbrith Circle Anthology.

Deed [a pantoum] - POEM of the WEEK! 11/30

Deed (a pantoum)


If love is supposedly the song of the modern age,
why are there battle-cries filled with hate?
Few practice the Golden Rule offstage
while others treat it like a cruel mandate.

Why are there battle-cries filled with hate?
Many deny or gasp at this trampling thought,
while others treat it like a cruel mandate
in an ongoing power-for-peace onslaught.

Many deny or gasp at this trampling thought:
we are giving, but within a border,
in an ongoing power-for-peace onslaught
until chaos crumbles to order.

We are giving, but within a border
built on a forgotten cornerstone
until chaos crumbles to order.
Then why is it carved on our tombstone?

Built on a forgotten cornerstone,
few practice the Golden Rule offstage.
Then why is it carved on our tombstone
if love is supposedly the song of the modern age?

~


"Many claim to have unfailing love, but a faithful person who can find?" -- Proverbs 20:6


2008 Ina Coolbrith Circle, 3rd place in the "War and Peace" category.